sportsmen – The National Wildlife Federation Bloghttp://blog.nwf.org
The National Wildlife Federation's blogSat, 17 Mar 2018 14:10:57 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4139259312A Sneak Preview of 2018 Conservationhttp://blog.nwf.org/2018/01/a-sneak-preview-of-2018-conservation/
http://blog.nwf.org/2018/01/a-sneak-preview-of-2018-conservation/#respondMon, 22 Jan 2018 20:06:37 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=132775The past year left many people wondering about the future for wildlife in America. We saw the Trump Administration wreak havoc on our land, water, and air, rolling back regulations that were meant to keep both humans and wildlife safe and healthy. Fortunately, Americans have shown time and time again that they care about wildlife and our nation’s conservation legacy. This year, the National Wildlife Federation is gearing up for a big year. We’ve asked our staff around the country what their top priority is for conservation in 2018. Let’s take a look at the year ahead.

Climate and Energy

Not surprisingly, when we asked the Climate and Energy team what their biggest priority for the year ahead was, they gave us four. Shannon Heyck-Williams, Senior Manager, climate and energy said, “NWF’s Climate & Energy team will pursue four central priorities in 2018:

Build bipartisan support in Congress and in key states for addressing climate change through a price on carbon

Increase the number of congressional Republicans sponsoring and supporting natural resource-based climate solutions

Facilitate wildlife-friendly wind power on and off-shore in the United States.”

Sportsmen’s Issues

“We would like to help states fight Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) with a national bill funding state CWD management and research,” explains Mike Leahy, Senior Manager, public land conservation. “CWD is a contagious neurological disease affecting deer, elk and moose and is always fatal. Having stable prey populations is crucial to maintaining healthy predator populations, like wolves and mountain lions. Being able to ensure healthy individuals and herds of these iconic American mammals is also vital to the livelihood of American sportsmen and our outdoor economy, as a whole.”

Public Lands

“The public lands team is going to continue to defend against the relentless attacks from the administration and Congress on one of our nation’s best ideas: public lands, which are owned by all Americans, for all Americans to enjoy,” says Tracy Stone-Manning, Associate Vice President for public lands. “And sometimes, the best defense is a good offense, so we’ll also work to ensure that Congress fixes the Forest Service’s budget and gives the agency the tools it needs to restore watersheds for fish and wildlife.”

Habitat Connectivity

“What I love about my work with the National Wildlife Federation and our partners is how it transforms people, myself included,” remarks Beth Pratt, Regional Executive Director. “As someone who spent most of my career working in remote national parks, like Yosemite and Yellowstone, my main conservation priority with the Federation is now focused on urban wildlife conservation and creating co-existence strategies in our human spaces. The future of conservation is about the integral link between wildlife and people – and cities are vital to forging those links. My biggest goal in this work for 2018 is to fund the “blueprints” for the wildlife crossing over the 101 Freeway outside of Los Angeles through our #SaveLACougars campaign, and stay on track for the crossing to be completed by 2022. This crossing, once built, will likely be the largest in the world, and not only will it save a local population of mountain lions from extinction, but will also serve as a global model for how wildlife and people can coexist sustainably.”

International Conservation

“International corporate advocacy made a big leap in 2017,” explains Barbara Bramble, Vice President, International Wildlife Conservation and Corporate Strategies. “Two dozen international food companies made a commitment to help protect one of the most biodiverse wooded savannahs on the planet – the Brazilian Cerrado (twice the size of Texas). In 2018, we will build on this momentum to help secure commitments from additional companies, and will be working with industry to develop tools for verification and on-the-ground implementation, to safeguard wildlife from the unsustainable expansion of cattle and soy.”

Wildlife Funding

“We believe the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will gain momentum this year,” explains Naomi Edelson, Senior Director, Wildlife Partnerships. “The Act would redirect $1.3 billion of existing revenue annually to state-led wildlife conservation efforts. Securing this funding is vital for the future of wildlife in America. The number of species petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act has increased by 1,000 percent in less than a decade. If we are able to pass the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act we will make huge progress towards protecting our nation’s unique and cherished wildlife for future generations to enjoy.”

Wildlife-Friendly Cities

“In 2018, I’m hopeful that we will surpass 200 cities and communities participating in our Community Wildlife Habitat program,” explains Patrick Fitzgerald, Senior Director, education management. “NWF created the Community Wildlife Habitat program in 1997, and in recent years it’s gained a lot of momentum. The program empowers municipal and citizen leaders to restore wildlife habitat and engage community members to ensure wildlife are able to thrive, even in urban environments.”

Gulf Restoration and Disaster Preparedness

“In the wake of last year’s devastating hurricanes, it is more important than ever that we harness the power of our natural defenses – like healthy wetlands – to protect communities,” remarks Jessie Ritter, Senior Policy Specialist, Gulf restoration. “In 2018, we will be engaged at the federal and state policy levels to promote the use of natural infrastructure approaches, including living shorelines, as our nation tries to rebuild better and prepare for the next storm. We will also work to advance large-scale ecosystem restoration projects in estuaries around the Gulf Coast region, to safeguard habitats for wildlife still recovering from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.”

Regional Watershed Restoration

Last year, Congress passed the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act, which was a huge win for wildlife. The federation is hopeful this will increase momentum for protections for other vital watersheds. “The Delaware River and its waterways provide drinking water for more than 15 million people and food, cover, and water for countless fish and wildlife. We believe there’s a unique and timely opportunity for the Governors of the four states that make up the watershed to lead the conservation of forested headwaters, ensure our local economies, work with homeowners and farmers to clean up streams, and bring back native plants and wildlife,” explains Grant LaRouche, Director, conservation partnerships, Mid-Atlantic region. “That’s why we’re running a campaign to help encourage those governors to come together around a new vision for the Delaware. Together we can take great strides in the next year to ensure a fishable, swimmable, drinkable Delaware River that creates local jobs for our communities.”

It’s clear to see we have a busy year ahead, but National Wildlife Federation staff are energized and confident that this year will bring many wins for wildlife. Together, with staff in offices all over the country and affiliates in 51 states and territories, along with support from members and concerned citizens, we form a powerful force behind wildlife conservation in America. With these priorities in mind, we will spend this year working together to create a future where our wild landscapes are protected and our wildlife can thrive.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2018/01/a-sneak-preview-of-2018-conservation/feed/0132775The American Public Still Wants to Save the Bird and the Herdhttp://blog.nwf.org/2017/09/the-american-public-still-wants-to-save-the-bird-and-the-herd/
http://blog.nwf.org/2017/09/the-american-public-still-wants-to-save-the-bird-and-the-herd/#respondFri, 22 Sep 2017 18:40:04 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=130810Two years ago, four Western governors from both parties joined sportsmen and women, ranchers, private landowners, local, state and federal officials in Denver for what was supposed to be the start of the nation’s largest-ever conservation effort. I attended the Sept. 22, 2015, news conference, where former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced that the greater sage-grouse would not need to be placed on the endangered species list, thanks to on-the-ground work across the West and conservation plans ready to be rolled out by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service and individual states.

Fast forward two years, and many of the collaborative efforts to safeguard the bird’s habitat on our national public lands are on hold, which means the chicken-sized, spiky-tailed, fancy-dancing bird is moving closer to the brink of extinction.

The conservation plans, developed with input from state agencies, private landowners, hunters, anglers and other conservationists, are aimed at saving an iconic Western species and a landscape that is also home to 350 other species, including mule deer, elk and pronghorn, golden eagles and several kinds of song birds. Sage-grouse populations have been in decline for decades. Mule deer, which rely on the same sagebrush habitat the bird does, have also experienced declines in some parts of the West. Other wildlife, ranchers who graze their livestock on sagebrush lands and local communities that benefit from more than $1 billion in spending generated from recreation on public lands in sagebrush country stand to gain if sage-grouse and its habitat thrive.

So why are we at a standstill two years later on our national public lands? In June, the Trump administration ordered a review of the sage-grouse plans to “improve sage-grouse conservation and strengthen communication and collaboration between state and federal governments.” The plans aren’t perfect and, in fact, were opposed by some state and industry officials who said they went too far and some conservation organizations who said they didn’t go far enough–which probably means they’re just about right.

However, the sage-grouse plans represent years of collaborative negotiations and work by a broad range of interests and have bipartisan support among Western governors. In fact, the state plans are already showing promise on the ground, through restoration projects and conservation easements on ranches. Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead, a Republican, whose state has led the way on sage-grouse conservation, and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, wrote to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in May, saying while there’s room for improvement, they don’t think “wholesale changes” were necessary.

A male greater sage-grouse struts his stuff to attract the females. Photo by Greg Bergquist, National Wildlife Photo Contest

But wholesale changes could be in store if the recommendations in an Aug. 7 report on the sage-grouse plans are implemented. For example, the recommendations include eliminating designations of important sage-grouse habitat where protective measures would be in place and making it easier to waive safeguards to allow more drilling and other development in sage-grouse habitat. The report also discusses the intention to “revisit the scientific literature” on the size of the buffers needed around sage-grouse leks, or breeding grounds.

Most concerning, the recommendations suggest that the administration could shift its approach from a focus on restoring and conserving the bird’s habitat to setting state-by-state population objectives. It also mentions raising grouse in captivity to boost numbers. Western governors have specifically discouraged both of these approaches. The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies recently issued white papers that question the viability of captive breeding and point out problems with tying sage-grouse conservation to setting population objectives. It comes down to habitat – enhancing, restoring and protecting it – if we want to make sure the bird doesn’t need to be listed, the wildlife biologists stress.

The sage-grouse announcement two years ago at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge was a watershed moment in conservation and celebrating the power of collaboration among people from across the political spectrum in saving a cherished species and landscape. At the time, I said it illustrated “what the Endangered Species Act is supposed to be all about: galvanizing collaborative efforts to save wildlife species before they’re on the brink of extinction.”

We’ve lost some time, but I’m confident that if we continue to work together and make sure the governors are at the helm, in full partnership with the federal agencies, landowners, and conservation groups, we’ll get back on track and we’ll save the bird – and the herd.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2017/09/the-american-public-still-wants-to-save-the-bird-and-the-herd/feed/0130810Three things to know about the sage-grouse secretarial order (and three we wish we could forget)http://blog.nwf.org/2017/06/three-things-to-know-about-the-sage-grouse-secretarial-order-and-three-we-wish-we-could-forget/
http://blog.nwf.org/2017/06/three-things-to-know-about-the-sage-grouse-secretarial-order-and-three-we-wish-we-could-forget/#respondFri, 16 Jun 2017 21:40:57 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=128546Interior secretary Ryan Zinke issued a secretarial order on greater sage-grouse on June 8, 2017. The order initiated a review of management plans that have been in the works for years and were a result of unprecedented collaboration among state, local, and federal stakeholders.

This order was not a surprise, as stakeholders had heard through the grapevine that it was coming, though the details were murky at best. Both Governor Hickenlooper (Colorado) and Governor Mead (Wyoming) signed a letter to Secretary Zinke encouraging him not to derail the work that has already occurred in developing these management plans. Unfortunately, Secretary Zinke did not heed their advice.

Here are three things to know about the secretarial order:

1. It creates an inter-agency review team consisting of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the US Geological Survey.
2. It directs that review team to review sage-grouse management plans state by state to ensure the plans “complement state efforts to conserve the species.”
3. As part of the review close attention will be paid to ensuring sage-grouse management plans do not impede the future of energy development.

Now here are three things we really wish we could forget about this order:

1. It asks the review team to explore “creative approaches” to manage sage-grouse, such as captive breeding and setting population targets state by state. Both approaches are not supported by applicable science, nor experts in the field. Generally, both these approaches are viewed simply as bad ideas.
2. This order basically ignores the work of countless stakeholders in the American West – ranchers, business owners, sportsmen, industry officials, local and state elected officials, outdoor recreation leaders, veterans, conservationists, and their partners in the U.S. government and state governments – who have invested tens of millions of dollars and years of work into creating and implementing locally driven sage-grouse conservation plans.
3. Energy development on public lands, not conservation of sage-grouse, appears to be a priority. In a news briefing and in a statement, Zinke emphasized aligning the conservation plans with Secretarial Order 3349, “Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth.” Provisions in the plans might be revised or rescinded based on the potential for energy and other development on public lands. Little matter that the plans do not affect energy development on more than 80 percent of the potential habitat area and about 50 percent of existing energy leases on public lands are currently in production.

This review rightly has many stakeholders who worked on creating these plans on edge. Too many hours have been spent collaborating and developing these plans to change course and ignore the hard work of so many stakeholders.

Looking to Western Governors to Save a Species and an Ecosystem

If the plans are derailed and the safeguards they contain aren’t followed, we risk losing an iconic Western landscape and the more than 300+ species who live there. Photo by Jessie Johnson

Across the West, 11 governors and representatives from the states of California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming have all spent significant time and resources in developing these plans and they will be key to ensuring that these plans remain on track. The plans enabled the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine that the greater sage-grouse would not have to be added to the endangered species list. Recently we have seen the governors of Colorado and Wyoming publicly ask Secretary Zinke to take a close look at all the work that has been done thus far and to not stray too far from the plans that have been painstakingly developed in a bipartisan manner.

State governments, and especially governors, will be key players over the coming months in ensuring the sage-grouse conservation plans stay on track. They, along with Secretary Zinke, need to hear from everyone who has a stake in conservation of the greater sage-grouse and its habitat. If the plans are derailed and the safeguards they contain aren’t followed, we risk having to take drastic measures that could affect hunting, recreation and other activities we now enjoy on sagebrush lands. We also risk losing an iconic Western landscape and the more than 300 species who live there.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2017/06/three-things-to-know-about-the-sage-grouse-secretarial-order-and-three-we-wish-we-could-forget/feed/0128546The Antiquities Act Turns 111! How About a Hundred More Years?http://blog.nwf.org/2017/06/the-antiquities-act-turns-111-how-about-a-hundred-more-years/
http://blog.nwf.org/2017/06/the-antiquities-act-turns-111-how-about-a-hundred-more-years/#respondThu, 08 Jun 2017 13:00:07 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=128513The Antiquities Act, which has been integral to building our nation’s public-lands legacy, is 111 years strong. Americans’ love of and support for our public lands remains strong, too.

Support is strong despite attempts to transfer, sell off or carve up the lands that belong to all Americans, whether they live next door to a national forest or park – or 2,000 miles away. Support is strong despite efforts to shrink some of our national monuments or rescind the designations altogether. Or dramatically restrict presidents’ ability to designate national monuments.

On June 8, 1906, Congress approved the Antiquities Act, which authorized the president to designate federally managed lands as national monuments to conserve important historic, scientific and archaeological sites.

Since then, 16 presidents from both parties have used the law to establish 157 national monuments. These sites are among some of our most treasured public landmarks, some of which were later made national parks – the Grand Canyon, Acadia, Zion, Grand Teton, Arches, the Great Sand Dunes. They’re also part of a system of parks, historic trails, waters and other sites that a 2016 study by Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government says annually generates $92 billion in economic benefits.

So, on the 111th anniversary of the law that has contributed so much to our nation’s heritage, culture, economy and sheer enjoyment, you’d think there would be a lot to celebrate. And there is.

Law, Monuments Targeted

However, there’s also work to be done to ensure the law and monuments remain intact. After more than a century of success, the Antiquities Act and some of the monuments created using the law are in danger. An executive order by President Trump has mandated a review of 27 national monuments designated since 1996. That review could result in recommendations to rescind the designations in their entirety or significantly alter the monuments.

In Congress, some members have introduced legislation to restrict the president’s authority to establish national monuments. A bill by Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska would require authorization by Congress, legislatures in the affected states and compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act for approval of a national monument.

It’s important to keep in mind that many of the monuments being scrutinized by the administration were designated after years of effort by local residents, sportsmen and women, hikers, campers, business owners, tribal members and elected officials. Bears Ears National Monument, whose review was fast-tracked, was established last year following decades of effort by members of tribes with ties to the area going back several centuries. The Utah monument is home to more than 100,000 archaeological and cultural sites, many of them sacred to several tribes. But for years, looters and vandals have stolen and damaged historic artifacts and even robbed ancient graves. One goal of designation is to better protect these treasures.

Public meetings on proposals to establish other monuments being reviewed drew big crowds of supporters. Business owners joined hikers, mountain bikers, hunters, anglers and Latinos with centuries-long roots in the region to rally for making Rio Grande del Norte and Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks national monuments. When Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks was proclaimed a monument, Kent Salazar, an Albuquerque, N.M., resident and member of the National Wildlife Federation Board of Directors, said the action “preserves this iconic area for future generations and allows continued traditional uses of the land, helping maintain the local economy and wildlife habitat.”

Bears Ears National Monument in Utah attracts hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts. Photo by Lew Carpenter

Besides having enjoyed wide, public support for protection of fish and wildlife habitat, historic and cultural sites and unique landscapes, many of these monuments have something else in common: approval of monument designation languished in Congress before people sought a presidential proclamation. The Antiquities Act provides an important vehicle for responding to the public when Congress won’t or can’t.

Other monuments under review are:

Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, Montana

Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Arizona

Grand Staircase Escalante, Utah

Katahdin Woods and Waters, Maine

Northeast Canyons and Seamounts, coastal Massachusetts

Papahānaumokuākea, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

Cascade-Siskiyou, Oregon

The administration says it wants public input on these monuments and that “local input is a critical component of federal land management.” So far, an estimated 1 million comments have been submitted in response to the administration’s review of Bears Ears. Let’s boost that number for the other 26 monuments under review and celebrate the 111th anniversary of the Antiquities Act, one of this nation’s most important conservation tools, by speaking out publicly for our national monuments and all our public lands.

Take Action Before July 10th to defend National Monuments Under Attack
]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2017/06/the-antiquities-act-turns-111-how-about-a-hundred-more-years/feed/0128513Artemis Sportswomen’s Coalition Launching Soonhttp://blog.nwf.org/2017/04/artemis-sportswomens-coalition-launching-soon/
http://blog.nwf.org/2017/04/artemis-sportswomens-coalition-launching-soon/#respondTue, 04 Apr 2017 13:42:59 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=126922The National Wildlife Federation and the Rocky Mountain Regional Center are proud to announce that we are launching Artemis, a sportswomen’s coalition, to bring a powerful and underrepresented voice to the forefront of our conservation efforts.

Despite being a quarter of all anglers, more than 20% of all hunters, the fastest growing segment in the sporting community, and some of the brightest minds in the conservation community, women are rarely seen as the figureheads of sporting conservation efforts.

Artemis will change that. We have embarked on a bold and ambitious effort to build a sportswomen’s movement that will change the face of conservation and create a unique and powerful voice in the conservation community.

Artemis believes wholeheartedly that as hunters and anglers we have an obligation to give back and protect the resources we shape our lives around. We see it as our duty to understand the full spectrum of wildlife conservation. To us this means not only being skilled in the field but also in hearing rooms, Congressional offices, classrooms and public arenas. The wildlife and wild places we rely on require our daily presence and participation. Artemis stands ready to answer the call.

Our mission: Women protecting sporting traditions, supporting women as leaders in the conservation movement, and fostering the next generations of conservationists to ensure the vitality of our outdoor heritage.

Photo by Kara Armano

We have started in the West with a core group of ten dedicated sportswomen from several states. Our focus areas are public lands, iconic species (particularly mule deer and cutthroat trout), and recruiting and developing women’s leadership in wildlife positions.

We have a hired a sportswomen’s coordinator, Jessi Johnson, to help lead our efforts. Jessi is a passionate bow hunter, angler, outdoor enthusiast, and an amazing conservation advocate in her home state of Wyoming. Jessi is excited to expand her reach and harness the power of our vast sportswomen’s network to address the greatest natural resources challenges of our day.

The first official action of Artemis will be meeting with Congressional offices as part of NWF’s public lands fly in. The fly in is in early April. Artemis will be sending five representatives.

Keep an eye out for the official unveiling of this campaign in early May.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2017/04/artemis-sportswomens-coalition-launching-soon/feed/0126922A PLEDGE FOR PUBLIC LANDShttp://blog.nwf.org/2016/09/a-pledge-for-public-lands/
http://blog.nwf.org/2016/09/a-pledge-for-public-lands/#respondFri, 09 Sep 2016 18:08:37 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=122461I can still smell my father’s breath when he woke me up on those cool fall mornings on the Wyoming prairie in the mid 80’s. I can still hear my black lab, Jesse, now long gone, panting and whining in anticipation of the bird hunt. I can smell the musty soils and see the sun rise over the wetlands and streams we would walk. I was a ten-year-old boy elated to go with dad on the hunt.

Photo by Aaron Kindle/ NWF

These are but a few of the countless, precious memories that sculpted me and define my life, and my own children’s lives, memories I would not have without public lands.

Public lands are me and I them.

Unfortunately, over the past few years a handful of lawmakers have pushed misguided efforts to transfer public lands to states or private interests. They are pushing to steal the memories my kids or theirs could have of their mother and father, and the quiet, peaceful times with loved ones connecting to the land as all humans have done since the dawn of time.

Those of us whose family histories are steeped in public lands and who rely on public lands both spiritually and economically know very intimately that selling or transferring public lands is a terrible idea, one sought for all the wrong reasons that will deprive us from too many valuables to count.

Photo by Aaron Kindle/ NWF

We know that transfer means sale. A simple look at the history of Western lands shows us that states sell their lands, and each time they do, it means one less opportunity to connect with nature and one more step away from our heritage for a child like I was then or my kids are today.

Knowing the disturbing facts behind the attacks on public lands means sportsmen and women can’t help but stand up and do what we can to make sure this intolerable fate never becomes of our public lands. For my part, I do declare on this day that I will personally, and professionally, do all I can to ensure that public lands stay in public hands.

Photo by Aaron Kindle/ NWF

As sportsmen and women we have an obligation that accompanies our immense privilege of opportunity and access to America’s amazing array of public lands. Using the same intensity with which we wake early and plan meticulously, we must be the watchdogs for our public lands and wildlife. It is our solemn duty to ensure the vitality and perpetuity of the bugling elk on cool September mornings, the sip of trout after caddis on a May afternoon, and the sound of the next generations laughing as they frolic in a piney grove. To do this, we must hold decision makers accountable.

I am proud today as the National Wildlife Federation joins sportsmen and women from across the country to call on electoral candidates to commit their support for public lands. We are part of an impressive list of sporting and conservation organizations that know this battle is one we simply cannot lose. We know all too well that any decisions that remove public lands from the public trust will strike deep in the heart of our collective heritage and forever desecrate our cherished sporting traditions.

Photo by Aaron Kindle/ NWF

The ability to responsibly manage and exercise sound stewardship of public lands is a key trait all elected officials should possess. So today, we call on all of those who wish to occupy public office to serve the public good and commit to protecting and enhancing public lands, and most of all, commit to keeping these lands forever in public hands.

Doing so will preserve the very fabric of our country, our families and the theater of our most precious memories.

The scene in South Florida this summer sounds like one out of a horror movie, but it’s all too real for Florida’s residents, sportsmen, and wildlife. Thick, smelly layers of toxic blue-green algae are coating Florida’s coasts, causing fish kills and closing beaches; seagrasses are dying in Florida Bay, a herald of the bay’s potential collapse.

Algal blooms are a recurring problem in Florida. Here, algae coats the waters of a marina in 2012. Wikimedia photo by John Moran (click to enlarge).

America’s Everglades – and the wildlife and sportfish that depend on its restoration for survival – are suffering.

How did all this toxic slime come to mar paradise?

In order to maintain safe water levels in Lake Okeechobee throughout the year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must release billions of gallons of polluted freshwater to the east and west through the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Rivers. While toxic algal blooms erupt on the east and west coasts from these polluted freshwater discharges, the Everglades National Park and Florida Bay to the south are starved of critically needed water. This unbalanced system wreaks havoc on delicate estuaries that provide critical habitat for sportfish and other wildlife.

The solution is simple – send clean water south, as it would naturally flow, to the Everglades National Park and Florida Bay. The State of Florida needs to work with the Army Corps starting this year to plan for water storage, treatment, and flow south of Lake Okeechobee through the Everglades Agricultural Area. We can’t afford a delay.

Florida’s algal blooms are so big this year they’re visible from space! NASA satellites captured this image of the blue-green algal bloom in Lake Okeechobee near the St. Lucie River on July 2, 2016. Photo by NASA.

America’s sportsmen and women are witnessing this crisis firsthand and are a critical voice in calling for a solution. In July, NWF’s Vanishing Paradise team was joined by more than 150 hunting and fishing businesses and organizations across the country asking Congress to prioritize funding for Everglades restoration and to accelerate science-based restoration efforts like the Central Everglades Planning Project and water storage projects.

A heron wades in shallow Florida waters on the hunt for some fish! Photo by Sandy Scott.

Additionally, more than 400 sportsmen called on the state of Florida to work with the Army Corps of Engineers starting this year to plan for water storage, treatment, and conveyance south of Lake Okeechobee.

Hunters and anglers want to save the “Fishing Capital of the World” for generations to come. They want Congress to recognize the importance of restoring the flow of clean water south from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay. It’s the only way to protect the renowned fishing grounds that draw so many to South Florida year after year. It’s the only way we can protect this paradise and prevent another summer of toxic slime.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2016/07/sportsmen-to-congress-protect-americas-everglades/feed/0121418Connecting Sportsmen Across the Countryhttp://blog.nwf.org/2016/07/connecting-sportsmen-across-the-country/
http://blog.nwf.org/2016/07/connecting-sportsmen-across-the-country/#respondThu, 14 Jul 2016 14:58:31 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=121030The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) was founded by sportsmen and continues to support them today through our expansive public lands work. Sportsmen and women have an intimate knowledge of public lands, and their deep ties with these lands make them key players in protecting public lands for wildlife and people.

John and Cole Bielak, fourth generation Coloradans, are prime examples of sportsmen who are also passionate conservationists. They founded Whale Tail Outdoors in 2014 in order to pass along their family traditions of sustenance hunting and conservation, and to share their experiences with other conservation- minded hunters.

Aligning with the National Wildlife Federation’s goal to keep our outdoor heritage alive and well for future generations, NWF is proud to help showcase Sequence, the latest in a growing list of hunting films produced by Whale Tail Outdoors. This film is designed to inspire and connect sportsmen and women to conservation issues across the country, and remind them of their duty to protect the invaluable landscapes that make hunting possible.

Hunting for the Bielaks has always been about slowing down and reconnecting with their primitive past. They seek unique hunts that challenge their mental and physical acumen while enhancing their knowledge of all game species they encounter. While harvesting an animal each season is the ultimate goal, the experience and memories of each hunt, and their time outdoors always trumps leaving the mountain with a heavier pack.

Having opportunities to access public land all across Colorado and several other western states is a luxury they never take for granted. Public lands are a way of life for the two brothers and their families here in Colorado and will always be something they fight to protect.

They continue to seek knowledge about the issues facing public lands and how they can use their filmmaking endeavors to protect these precious landscapes. They understand that now more than ever, those who love public lands and the wildlife that call these lands home must actively work to keep public lands in public hands.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2016/07/connecting-sportsmen-across-the-country/feed/0121030Westerners Speak Out for Sage-grouse, Sagebrush Steppehttp://blog.nwf.org/2016/03/westerners-speak-out-for-sage-grouse-sagebrush-steppe/
http://blog.nwf.org/2016/03/westerners-speak-out-for-sage-grouse-sagebrush-steppe/#respondTue, 08 Mar 2016 18:00:10 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=117705Westerners understand there’s more to the saga of the greater sage-grouse than saving a chicken-sized, spiky-tailed bird known for its elaborate mating dance.

The ground-dwelling bird, not found anywhere else in the world, is a signature species of the ruggedly stunning sagebrush country. But, as sportsmen and women and other outdoor enthusiasts will tell you, it’s about more than the bird — it’s also about the herd. Herds of mule deer, elk, pronghorn.

The sagebrush steppe also provides food and habitat for golden eagles, bighorn sheep, pygmy rabbits, migrating songbirds, prairie falcons, ferruginous hawks and sagebrush lizards. More than 350 species rely on sagebrush lands, which are rich in many different kinds of sagebrush plants and, after the rains, brightly colored wild flowers.

But there’s trouble afoot in the sagebrush steppe. The bird and the landscape face tremendous pressures: invasion of non-native species, wildfires, livestock grazing, subdivision of land, drought, oil and gas drilling, conversion of lands to agriculture, and expanding human populations.

Sage-grouse, once abundant across the West, number fewer than a half million. There were once as many as 16 million from Canada to the southern border.

Pronghorn are one of many species dependent on sagebrush lands. Photo: Judith Kohler

Sage-grouse and sagebrush country are at a crossroads. Last fall, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was able to avoid placing the bird on the Endangered Species List after concluding that sage grouse aren’t in danger of extinction due to work by states, private landowners, nonprofits and the U.S. Department Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to save the bird. In what is being called the largest land conservation effort in U.S. history, Western states, the Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Forest Service have mapped out strategies to build on that work.

However, there is a looming threat of lawsuits and attempts in Congress to derail the conservation plans. Westerners who live, work and recreate in sagebrush country say the time to save the bird, the herd and a cherished landscape is now. The National Wildlife Federation highlights some of those people — ranchers, sportsmen and women, climbers, tribal members — in a new brochure, “Voices of the Sage.”

Hear the Western Voices:

“I think sage-grouse will survive, but only if people want it to survive and take action to help it survive.” ~ Jim Posewitz, longtime Montana, Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist, sportsman and author

“The sage country is a big part of my life, growing up on the reservation there. The sage itself is central to our Shoshone people, our Shoshone culture.” ~ Jason Baldes, a member of the Eastern Shoshone tribe on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming

“Sagebrush country is absolutely beautiful in full bloom. That’s why I love it when it rains, as it washes away all the dust and makes it fresh and clean.” ~ Robert Gaudet, sportsman and president of the Nevada Wildlife Federation board

The sagebrush steppe provides habitat for elk. Photo: Aaron Kindle

“I’m here to tell you that those very same elk and mule deer that we value so much in the treed country and those very same trout that we value in the mountain ranges, they rely on these sage lands, too. We’ve got to get together as a people and quit fighting and find solutions.” ~ Walt Gasson, Wyoming rancher and sportsman

“I spend most of my time in the sage in Wyoming, just thinking about what an amazing ecosystem it is and how many animals live there.” ~ Janet Marschner, sportswoman and president of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation board

“We should protect the this valuable ecology by continuing to provide habitat for the sage grouse and mule deer.” ~ Doug Waggoner, Colorado sportsman

Sportsmen and women and other outdoor enthusiasts appreciate the beauty and diversity of the Western sagebrush lands. Photo: Steve Woodruff

Help Protect Sagebrush Habitat:

Take action
]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2016/03/westerners-speak-out-for-sage-grouse-sagebrush-steppe/feed/0117705Realizing Leopold’s Land Ethichttp://blog.nwf.org/2016/03/this-week-in-nwf-history-applying-the-land-ethic/
http://blog.nwf.org/2016/03/this-week-in-nwf-history-applying-the-land-ethic/#respondMon, 07 Mar 2016 13:00:52 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=117466Since 1936, the National Wildlife Federation has worked to conserve the nation’s wildlife and wild places. As part of our 80th anniversary celebration, we are recognizing important moments in our history that continue to make an impact today.

“A land ethic, then, reflects the existence of an ecological conscience, and this in turn reflects a conviction of individual responsibility for the health of the land.”
– Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac

Aldo Leopold was the seminal natural resources thought leader of the 20th century. His work brought forth the idea of ecology and revolutionized natural resources management. He introduced the idea that the waters, woods, and wildlife are intertwined, and should no longer be viewed as pure commodities but also valuable pieces of a grand puzzle. His most influential work, A Sand County Almanac, first published in 1949, has brought this ethic to life for millions of readers.

Connecting the Movement

As a dedicated sportsman conservationist, Leopold brought to light the distinct need for conservation as a keystone to both ecological and social health. At the time, many did not understand the relationships between predators and prey, trees and clean waters, and how humans could unknowingly, adversely affect landscapes and their own well-being. Leopold passionately introduced a land ethic, a way of considering our actions on the landscape through a moral lens. Using this ethic, he helped drive consideration of human actions in a more complete and thoughtful manner that adequately valued ecological function rather than simply justifying all action based on human desires.

These ideas kindled the conservation movement and began to articulate an obligation to give something back, to positively influence ecosystems rather than to always take from them. This line of thinking revolutionized the way Americans interacted with the natural world and spurred much of the environmental laws that to this day safeguard our air, waters and wildlife.

Leopold helped hunters and anglers understand that simply buying a license and going afield did not make one a conservationist. He implored sportsmen and women to do more, to get engaged and to use their sporting dollars to protect habitat and influence policy.

A Legacy Lost?

This obligation is now more important than ever. Efforts are underway across the country to privatize our public lands, waters and wildlife. From banning access to flowing rivers in New Mexico and transferring more hunting tags to private landowners to treating wild animals as livestock in the Midwest and attempting to transfer and sell public lands across the country, our heritage is under attack.

Treating wild animals as livestock in the Midwest degrades our natural heritage. Photo by William Wiley.

Unfortunately, many of us have grown complacent and forgotten the poignant lessons of Leopold. We have stood by while our heritage has slowly eroded, sitting idly as game commissions transferred big game tags to private landowners, while wild deer and elk were penned and raised as a private commodity, and while legislators in over a dozen states introduced legislation to transfer public lands to states who cannot afford to manage them and would inevitably sell to cover costs, forever stealing away our heritage and opportunity.

If we don’t wake up, exercise our rights, and protect, enhance and restore our wild lands and wildlife, one day soon it will be too late. We lose access, ecosystem vitality, and freedom to range far and wide as Americans have since the dawn of our country. We will rob our kids of their outdoor heritage.

Take heed the teachings of Aldo Leopold. Immerse yourself in the conservation of the land. Teach others to love and respect the land and its inhabitants. Protect and defend your outdoor heritage as you would any of your most prized possessions. We can and we must. It is the call of our time.